Does Disney have an identity crisis with their parks?

[JusticeDisney]

If that is the case then Disney is a very expensive way to do fun attractions. Disney's uniqueness IMHO is the identity of the park, they are theme parks after all. Hershey Park has more rides (with very short wait times) if all you want is rides that are not somehow related, and it is a heck of a lot cheaper than WDW. Take away the identity (theme) and its no longer a theme park it is just an amusement park, and it would be a pretty lame amusement park with a small number of rides at very high prices and three star level level hotels that charge five star level room rates. The identity is the "magic" that makes it special.

I hear what you're saying, but there has never been a single, cohesive theme to Magic Kingdom, and that hasn't stoped kajillions of people from flocking to it and having fun. The WDW parks set themselves apart from other amusement parks in many ways other than theme, IMO.

 

[jimbojones]

I hear what you're saying, but there has never been a single, cohesive theme to Magic Kingdom, and that hasn't stoped kajillions of people from flocking to it and having fun. The WDW parks set themselves apart from other amusement parks in many ways other than theme, IMO.

It just occurred to me that in many ways I prefer Disneyland and it certainly is less cohesively themed than WDW.

 

[Amidala]

I hear what you're saying, but there has never been a single, cohesive theme to Magic Kingdom, and that hasn't stoped kajillions of people from flocking to it and having fun. The WDW parks set themselves apart from other amusement parks in many ways other than theme, IMO.

I think theme is still a major factor here, though. Main Street may have nothing to do with Frontierland, but both lands are distinct and "transportive" in their own right. It's not immersive in the way that we expect theme parks to be post-WWOHP (an exact copy of an IP–and I'm not knocking this, I enjoy it, but it's a different way to conceptualize theming), but the theming of each individual land is far and beyond what you would find at Six Flags.

But definitely Disney's reputation as a company (and the massive amounts of nostalgia associated w/ it) play a role here too, so I see your point.

 

[Dead2009]

AK was supposed to be a "glorified" zoo of sorts, built into a theme park. While some liberties have been taken since the park's opening, the overall focus has been on non-fictitious animals and conservation efforts. How does the completely fictitious world of Pandora fit into the overall "zoo" experience? Why wasn't this fictitious land, based completely on a movie, built in HS instead?

Pandora isnt the first world they thought of when it came to fictional animals...remember Beastly Kingdom?

 

[HansGruber]

Pandora isnt the first world they thought of when it came to fictional animals...remember Beastly Kingdom?

Yes, people keep bringing up a fictitious land based on fictitious animals.

 

[Dead2009]

Yes, people keep bringing up a fictitious land based on fictitious animals.

My point was Pandora wasnt the first time they've talked about it, it just happened to be the one that came to fruition.

 

[Marijil]

On theming

MK- classic
AK- well done
EPCOT- World Showcase is uniquely charming and obviously has staying power (in no small part due to the food and beverage component)
Future World is a complete mess I don't know what it is going on there i don't know who does. it's disjointed. Worse, its partially abandoned and in a state of disrepair and neglect..
DHS- Its not a studio anymore but i don't mind if they call it that...its become about their movie franchises...ok...let's put in marvel land, a land for traditional animation and call it a day...with sections for a.star wars,b. pixar, c.animation, d.marvel.... its a fun park

 

[Marijil]

one caveat AK is great but dinoland with the obvious exception of Dinosaur should be plowed not up to disney standards

 

[jimbojones]

one caveat AK is great but dinoland with the obvious exception of Dinosaur should be plowed not up to disney standards

Its a week old post but I feel I need to stick up for Dinoland, Dinoland is IMHO a pitch perfect capture of a Southwestern or Badlands area tourist trap. I love rt 66, I love the South West and I love the Dakotas in real life and Dinoland captures that vibe perfectly. I know it is not popular on these boards but if you have been to the places it tries to emulate, it does an amazing job. When I eat at the Dinoland restaurant I feel like I am in North Dakota or a rt 66 tourist trap in New Mexico. Yeah it feels cheap and cheesy but the places it captures do too, and I am a sucker for a tourist trap.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Want to go to a park that has an identity crisis...Go to any Local Six Flags theme park were aspects and theming clash to make a pointless world of confusement..Like my Park for example Six Flags Great America, We have 2 Batman rides in 2 different places within the park and our recent Justice League: Battle for Metropolis is on the other side of the park in the Southwest Territory...Oh and the best example is our Yukon Territiory which was heavily themed to the days of the gold rush and loggers that ventured through the Yukon.....It has a Big gas enduced Go-Kart Track that took over a huge footprint and lost the majority of theming within it's installation...

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

- Frozen ever after belongs in place of the old Snow White dark ride in fantasyland
- Pandora, guardians of the galaxy and Star Wars Land belong in a park of its own as we'll as any marvel attraction not to mention Disney needs an epic gook out park like that to begin with.
- Epcot could have really taken up a new worldly experience based on geographical experiwnces and places around the world not as much country's since all they really need at this point is future world and replacement for Innoventions and some new countries, a couple iMax rides as well, maybe an Ireland country pavilion and a flight over Ireland and make maelstrom more of an intense ride.

 

[Amidala]

- Frozen ever after belongs in place of the old Snow White dark ride in fantasyland
- Pandora, guardians of the galaxy and Star Wars Land belong in a park of its own as we'll as any marvel attraction not to mention Disney needs an epic gook out park like that to begin with.
- Epcot could have really taken up a new worldly experience based on geographical experiwnces and places around the world not as much country's since all they really need at this point is future world and replacement for Innoventions and some new countries, a couple iMax rides as well, maybe an Ireland country pavilion and a flight over Ireland and make maelstrom more of an intense ride.

Definitely would have loved to see Frozen over in Fantasyland! But I will say...compared w/ the remnants of Future World, one thematically inappropriate attraction in World Showcase isn't the worst issue for me.

Don't think dumping all of the immersive new "lands" in a fifth gate would be a good idea, though. Star Wars has already been shoehorned into DHS so thoroughly that DHS's theme is being completely overhauled to fit it...I think by 2020 (or earlier), SW:GE will make a lot more sense as a DHS addition. And I know we've all gone back and forth on this but IMO Pandora is fine for DAK. My issue w/ shoving all of these IP-themed lands into a fifth gate is that if a fifth gate ever does happen (I don't think this is a decision that would be made lightly, or anytime in the near future) it should have its own "overall" identity (DHS has movies, DAK has animals/natural environments, etc.). IP-based areas could be added as branching lands, but the park itself should be an original concept with unique theming, not just a mish-mosh of profitable IPs.

 

[_caleb]

There is no identity crisis- it's just that the identities have changed. Epcot isn't edutainmentland anymore (hasn't been for a while) and won't be again. Hollywood Studios isn't about movie making anymore. Animal Kingdom isn't just about animals anymore. All of these changed a LONG time ago.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

Animal Kingdom isn't just about animals anymore. All of these changed a LONG time ago.

The move Avatar does have fictional animals. Flight of Passage is a similar based off the Mountain Banshee that was in Avatar. A Mountain Banshee is no different than the Yeti.

 

[Amidala]

There is no identity crisis- it's just that the identities have changed. Epcot isn't edutainmentland anymore (hasn't been for a while) and won't be again. Hollywood Studios isn't about movie making anymore. Animal Kingdom isn't just about animals anymore. All of these changed a LONG time ago.

I think the issue is less that these parks are moving away from their original identities, and more that their current identities are kind of piecemeal. Yes, DHS isn't a functioning studio anymore, and it isn't about a behind-the-scenes look at movies, so...what is it? With all the upcoming changes to DHS (MMRR, TSL, SW:GE, and hopefully a name change) I think DHS's theme will seem more coherent soon, but right now...I think it's fair to say there's a bit of an identity crisis, as DHS is in this tricky transitional period between studio park and a more general movie-themed park.

I think DHS at least has clearer direction than Future World in Epcot...The issue here (at least for me) isn't just that Epcot is moving away from edutainment, it's that there's a lack of attractions in general, with whole areas like Innoventions essentially left to rot. We know GotG is coming, but that still leaves attractions like Figment, the Pixar Short Film Festival (if that can even be considered an attraction) and Innoventions as big question marks. And even if these attractions are upgraded or replaced in the next few years (I'm sure they will be), what will these rides all have in common with each other? What will the uniting theme be? Because "Not really edutainment anymore" isn't a theme in itself...especially when rides like Spaceship Earth and Living with the Land are still edutainment-based attractions.

I don't think DAK belongs in this discussion at all though, TBH. Dino-rama is a problem area and the appropriateness of Pandora has been debated back and forth (I think it's fine) but DAK probably has the clearest and most consistent theme across the four parks. It can definitely use some new attractions and experiences, but it doesn't need the total theme overhaul that DHS and Epcot do.

 

[Cowboy Steve]

MK, a somewhat "catch-all" or generally theme less park, so it's hard to critique. But, wouldn't Tron be better suited for Epcot (which lacks a roller coaster) or HS?

I don't know that I agree with MK just being a 'catch-all' or categorizing it as theme less. It absolutely has a theme. Walt Disney. With the exception of the Pixar additions in Tomorrowland, the entire park is classic (and some new classic) Disney. You have classic Disney represented - Swiss Family Robinson, Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo, Cinderella, Tom Sawyer, Lady and the Tramp, Snow White, Jungle Book, all the original Disney Characters, etc. And you have newer 'modern' Classic Disney - Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Pirates of the Caribbean, and to a lessor extent, Lilo and Stitch. Carousel of Progress, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, need I go on? I think MK has the MOST cohesion of any of the 4 parks. MK and I'd throw AK in there as well as having stayed very true to their original concepts. MK is more impressive just because of it's age. The other 2 - yikes.

Couldn't agree more with the general sentiment that DHS and EPCOT are a mess. More so with EPCOT. It has definitely wandered the farthest off the path. What a shame. Future World was truly spectacular in it's prime. Now... not so much. SSE and the Land have stayed the truest. The living seas kinda has. The World Showcase is what it is and I pretty much enjoy it as much as when it opened. Though I miss the Viking ride in Norway. I enjoyed the Frozen reboot, but I wish it wouldn't have been at the expense of the original ride. The point of the World Showcase was to shine a spotlight on each Country's culture. Now, don't misunderstand me... I enjoy visiting both parks. I can easily spend an entire day or more at both. But, as far as the original concepts of the parks, they have both lost their way. I loved watching the animators work at HS (though I don't know if I could have worked all day with people looking down at me!). It has definitely moved away from being themed as a behind the scenes/working studio to more of a movie themed park.

 

[CaptainJackNO]

I don't understand. Disney doesn't want to increase crowds at MK?
MK already has multiple thrill rides, including 3 roller coasters....why do they need another roller coaster next to their most famous and popular roller coaster? MK already has more roller coasters than the other 3 parks combined.

I'm guessing the rider 'load factor'-to-'real estate' ratio was horrendous for Tomorrowland Speedway, thus the removal. But Disney would love for Tron to increase attendance WHILE simultaneously holding more riders in a queue.

Ride to load factor and these little gas guzzling (environmental concerns) vehicles ceased being futuristic sometime in the late 70s

 

[PorterRedkey]

Expedition: Everest was announced in 2003.

Your point? The Yeti is a real living creature!

 

[POLY LOVER]

The main issue for me is whatever they add to the parks it has to be creative and impressive and can not be just another theme park ride. It must be something that when I travel a thousand miles or more to see it I have to say you can't find that anywhere else and it was worth the trip.

 

[POLY LOVER]

Their identity crisis isn't with the parks its with the company as a whole. Are they a theme park company first or an entertainment company that happens to own a theme park? Are they way to big in other areas to give the parks the attention and creativity they deserve. Are they just way to big now?